Young people very worried about the economic consequences of the war

• Young people learn a lot about the war in Ukraine and through different channels.

• It must be said that this conflict worries them a lot, in particular for their purchasing power.

  But a large part of them also fear the extension of the conflict to other European countries, even a third world war, and the use of nuclear weapons.

• They are much more in favor of Ukraine's entry into the European Union than its integration into NATO.

War has taken hold in Ukraine and the shock caused by the sudden invasion of the country by the Russian army has been followed by daily images of ruins, wounded and refugees.

This conflict is now part of our lives and 88% of young people aged 18 to 30 say they get information about this war, 66% of them at least once a day, according to our study #MoiJeune

– OpinionWay*.

"It's a very important figure, when we know that this age group is the one who is the least informed in general", indicates Guillaume Inigo, director of studies at OpinionWay.

Forget the image of young people who never leave social networks, since these are only a channel of information for 46% of them, behind the information sites consulted by 59% of 18-30 year olds.

"Young people are multiplying the sources of information on this confit, with on average between two and three different channels mentioned", underlines Guillaume Inigo.

The other channels being the news (38% of 18-30 year olds), continuous news channels (31%) or the written press, cited by 21% of young people, on a par with discussions with those around them.

Purchasing power at the heart of concerns

It must be said that this war at the gates of the European Union is frightening.

“Like all French people”, specifies the director of studies, young people are anxious.

76% of 18-30 year olds* are worried about the consequences of the conflict on France, 84% of the consequences on Europe and 77% of the consequences on their purchasing power.

Among the latter, 35% say they are “very worried” about their purchasing power.

“It's a very strong figure, analyzes Guillaume Inigo.

Our studies also show that this is currently the subject that matters most for young people, as for all French people, with a view to their vote in the presidential election, far ahead of the management of the conflict.

83% of young people even fear a global economic crisis.

Women are even more pessimistic, since among them the figure rises to 90%.

And if they are worried about their daily lives, they are also worried about Europe and the world.

67% of 18-30 year olds think that the conflict could spread to other European countries, 40% that it could lead to a third world war, 37% fear a disaster linked to an accident in a nuclear power plant and 30% the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.

“All this demonstrates a very anxiety-provoking state of mind, notes Guillaume Inigo.

This can partly be explained by the change of paradigm compared to the previous conflicts in Europe in the 1990s [the war in Bosnia in 1992-1995 and the war in Kosovo in 1998-1999].

The West then intervened to protect populations and impose our values ​​of democracy against the former USSR.

This time,

it is a country that is attacked because it wants to get closer to Westerners.

It is our values ​​that are under attack, so we are on the defensive.

» 63% of young people say that their sense of belonging to Europe has been strengthened.

This is significantly more than the 52% who saw their French patriot feeling strengthened.

In favor of Ukraine's entry into the EU

Faced with these threats, 49% of young people believe that France should increase its defense budget and 30% that military service should be made compulsory again.

On the other hand, they are 64% hostile to France leaving NATO's integrated command and 57% to France sending troops to Ukraine.

It should be noted, however, that on these questions, many 18-30 year olds do not have a clear opinion and have answered "I don't know" (16% for military service, 21% for the Defense budget and for NATO, 23% for sending troops to Ukraine).

They are also very divided on the idea of ​​integrating Ukraine into NATO, since 47% are for and 51% are against.

Our file on Ukraine

On the other hand, 56% of 18-30 year olds are in favor of Ukraine's entry into the European Union.

“It shows a certain solidarity with the Ukrainians, but the answer would probably have been different if they had been reminded that the EU statutes also include a 'common defense clause'.

As for knowing whether Europe will come out better from this conflict, 49% of young people think yes and 49% think no.

“Young people are traditionally more Europhile than their elders, but they still have a mistrust of European institutions.

And it must be remembered that all of this is very circumstantial, insists Guillaume Inigo.

The feeling of young people, like all French people, vis-à-vis this war will obviously evolve according to current events.

»

*Study #MoiJeune "20 Minutes" - OpinionWay, conducted online on March 17 and 18 with a representative sample of

.

Want to participate?

If you are between 18 and 30 years old, you can participate in the "#MoiJeune" project, a series of surveys launched by 

 with OpinionWay, by registering HERE.

• purchasing power

• EU

• Presidential election 2022

• MeYoung

• War in Ukraine

• World

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